Israel needs to lift the closure of Gaza -- Ban

NEW YORK, Oct 1 (KUNA) -- United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu, and stressed on the urgent need to lift the closure of Gaza, and also to meet Israel's legitimate security concerns. The officials discussed during their encounter the situation in Gaza, where Ban underscored that a return to the "status quo ante" was not an option and stressed the urgent need to address the underlying causes of the crisis, according to a statement, released late on Tuesday.
The UN chief welcomed the tripartite agreement between the Government of Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations on the secure entry of reconstruction materials into Gaza, and hoped for its swift implementation.
He then expressed deep concern at continued settlement activity and reiterated that a political horizon must be restored without further delay. The two leaders also discussed the regional situation, including developments in the areas of operations of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). (end) mao.rk